By Ian MacKenzie

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Reuter) The United States on Monday accused Burma
of officially encouraging the drug trade as narcotics trafficking came under
the spotlight at an ASEAN conference of leading Asian and Western nations.

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who acknowledged Burma's recent
joining of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) despite
Western disapproval, said drug traffickers were ``now leading lights in
Burma's new market economy and leading figures in its new political order.''

``Drug money has become so pervasive in Burma that it taints legitimate
investment and threatens the region as a whole,'' she told the conference.

``Indeed, it is hard to imagine a lasting solution to this region's narcotics
problem without a lasting solution to Burma's political crisis.''

She said the United States had successfully worked with Thailand and Laos on
opium eradication programs and planned to sponsor more such projects in Laos
and elsewhere.

Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov told the 19nation meeting that
drug trafficking and related economic crimes were more than topical.

``We need to cooperate vigorously in joint actions against these evils which
in varying degrees and forms are present in all our countries,'' he said.

Primakov called for an international meeting to identify the scope of the
problem, to elaborate on basic principles of cooperation and to establish a
data bank open to ``all interested agencies in our countries.''

ASEAN members Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei have mandatory death penalties
for drug trafficking. The group also comprises Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam,
the Philippines and newly joined Burma and Laos.

Also attending the conference, which winds up on Tuesday after a week of
ASEAN and related meetings, are socalled dialogue partners the United
States, Russia, China, Japan, European Union, South Korea, India, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand.

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam described drug abuse as a
``burning global issue.''

He said control of trafficking, preventive education, treatment and
rehabilitation were part of ASEAN's plan of action.

``We call on the international community to join efforts to reduce demand for
drugs, and we look forward to increased support from dialogue partners to
assist ASEAN in these cooperative projects,'' Cam said.

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